1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and for inducing translational and rotational movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a variety of applications, there is a need for a mechanism for inducing rotational as well as translational motion. For example, it is well-known in the motorcycle community that the typically fixed position of the handlebars has numerous limitations including: 1) a suboptimal positioning of the handlebars for a rider; 2) even if optimal at one time, the fixed handlebar position can be uncomfortable for a rider on another occasion due to injury, illness, weight gain or a variety of other changes in the riders condition or mood; and/or 3) the position of the handlebars, even if comfortable at the start of a ride, can become uncomfortable over time after long hours on the road.
Accordingly, a need existed in the art for an apparatus and method for adjusting the position of handlebars for motorcycles and other similar vehicles. While adjustable handlebars were known in the art, these systems typically required the user to adjust the handlebar positions mechanically and by hand. This was slow, cumbersome and typically provided a discrete set of position options as opposed to a continuous set of position options. Hence, a need remained in the art for an easy to use motorized system and method for adjusting motorcycle handle bars over a continuous range of motion.
The need was addressed by an invention disclosed by P. Oravecz in U.S. Pat. No. 9,038,500 B1 entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE MOTORIZED ADJUSTMENT OF MOTORCYCLE HANDLEBARS, issued May 26, 2015, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application discloses and claims a motorized system for adjusting the tilt angle and telescopic position of handlebars mounted on a motorcycle, bicycle or other vehicle.
While this invention substantially addresses the need in the art, unfortunately, it requires two motors. This adds to the cost and weight of the arrangement.
Hence, a need remains for a system for a system for adjusting the rider's position while still controlling the motorcycle (i.e., throttle, brake, clutch, etc.) and allowing for use of the original handlebars with a single motor. More generally, a need remains in the art for a system and method for inducing rotational as well as translational motion of a mechanism with a single motor.